Of Songs and Seals
by Kane Lam
Summary: The hour has come and Liara and Shepard now face the unravelling threat of the Reaper's true power. Their love is tested yet again and the fate of the Galaxy even more unclear as darkness falls. Yet even in shadow, light and love can prevail.
1. Chapter 1

_**Personal Note: **__This story is based on Victoria Shepard, the same one who was involved in "The Distance Between Two Stars", another one of my tales. It might be a good idea to read that story first to get some context. Also, I am well aware I wrote an epilogue for the entire romance at the end of my first story, but this one takes place shortly after the events of "Two Stars". I have great intentions for this story, including introducing my version of the Reaper's motives and furthering the romance of Liara and Shepard…please let me know what you think thus far!_

**Of Songs and Seals  
**_**Tranquil Beginnings**_

_Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits__ of God sent out into all the earth. __He came and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. __And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. __And they sang a new song:  
"You are worthy to take the scroll  
and to open its seals,  
because you were slain,  
and with your blood you purchased men for God  
from every tribe and language and people and nation.  
__You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God,  
and they will reign on the earth."_

Shepard lay in bed, staring upwards through the well placed window above her Quarter's. At her side, Liara T'Soni slept, her chest gently rising and falling as she breathed. She looked so peaceful, so at ease. Shepard liked to watch Liara like this. It was in a person's sleep that they were most vulnerable and all facades, all masks that they wore, fell away. Moments such as these were the most intimate two people could share, and Shepard was overjoyed she could spend them with someone she cared for so much and after so long being apart.

After death and resurrection, the Collectors, and dealing with the Shadow Broker, one might expect there would be time for rest and reflection, but this night Victoria Shepard was brooding. She had just read a message that had caused her great distress. A data pad, bringer of such tidings, had been thrown to the floor. She might have shot this very same electronic messenger out of frustration if not for the risk of waking her partner.

The Council, increasingly more interested in public relations than policy, was balking at the evidence found by Shepard and her team on the Collector Base. Not even a clear picture of the squid-like Harbringer as well as data mined from the Prothean-turned-Collector databases was enough. They wanted physical proof and even sending out a ship through the Terminus systems to the Omega IV Relay seemed too much for them.

What more proof could they want? A fleet of ten thousand ships bearing down on their worlds, perhaps then they might realize the magnitude of the threat albeit too late? Shepard was torn as to her next steps. Fly to the Citadel and argue and politick with the likes of an ever more sarcastic Turian councilor or try to dig at some more evidence on her own? Where to start was the question. The Illusive Man had pointed out to her that throughout the Galaxy there were dead worlds that showed signs of life even older than the Protheans themselves. One might find important information recorded on one, even something leading as far back as to the origins of the Reapers themselves and a way to lead to their undoing. She didn't have time to visit dozens of worlds though and she had not even the slightest idea about where in the damned Galaxy to begin. She knew one thing though, if the Council wouldn't act, she must not let that deter her.

She felt like just staying in bed for hours longer. Why get up with no clear path to lead her crew on?

Suddenly, the interjection of the now familiar blue orbed avatar of EDI broke her introspection.

"Commander, during the data mining of information given to use by the Shadow Broker, cross-referenced with what the Illusive Man has provided, I have indications as to where we might orient ourselves next."

The AI, despite attempting to be more "personable" still had not learned the value of introductory statements and oftentimes would cause Shepard to jump as she popped up, immediately relaying information without regard to what the Commander was engaged in. Whether involved in an amorous situation with Liara or in the shower, EDI could always be relied upon to get her message across, no matter how inappropriate the timing.

The Commander, in this case, was frustrated enough already.

"EDI, don't hold me in suspense here. What data are we talking about?"

Liara opened a single eye, roused by the conversation around her. She raised herself up slightly to listen in even as she clung to the sheets covering her. She was holding on to some modesty before an AI that wouldn't have been fazed by the Asari's unclothed body anyway.

"Commander," EDI continued, "A scanning signature indicating a large dark energy concentration like that discovered during Tali's mission was found on a human colony world. The local miners were attempting to gain access to what was thought to be element zero on the planet, but instead they found ruins. Not long after, contact gradually lessened until now the world has not been heard from for two weeks…"

"Two weeks?! Does no one follow up on things anymore?!"

"Commander, intercepted Alliance communications indicate a squad was sent out to investigate, but no word yet on their progress. More interesting is the fact that orbital scans had always indicated what appeared to be signs of ancient superstructures, but only when the human effort took root on the world did the…"

"Set course for the planet. This is at least a start and betting than watching that damn Turian make quotation marks with his fingers…"

Shepard rose out of bed, reenergized with a new purpose. It may not be much, but if nothing else it was a mystery worth looking into. Liara followed her lead, jumping up out of the covers and heading for her own desk, probably to begin accessing and reviewing the very data EDI was referring to.

"Commander…" EDI said. It seemed as if she had one last morsel of information to relay.

Shepard stopped her movement, anxiously awaiting EDI's next words.

"I would recommend Dr. T'Soni clothe herself as for strictly hygienic purposes it is unwise to sit o…"

"Damn it, EDI!"

The AI took the cue and immediately her avatar contracted and disappeared.

Shepard looked over at Liara and shook her head.

"That AI is getting far too comfortable with us. I can't tell if she is being provocative or is simply blissfully unaware of how she comes off…"

Liara just smiled and reached for some clothing she had laid out for herself. They finally had something to occupy themselves and not a lot of time to do it.

_**Wasting Away**_

Shepard had gathered her team in the briefing room. Before them was a holographic image of the planet itself. It was an unappealing world, with several large clay colored land masses.

"The planet is largely arid and rocky. Its main resource is large amounts of highly concentrated element zero…"

EDI had been giving them a rundown of the planet for some time.

"The colony was placed here, close to a large amount of what was thought to be element zero…"

The image of the dusty looking planet suddenly zoomed in. A bird's eye view of a simple human colony appeared.

"It looks about the size of Feros…" Garrus said.

"Population of the colony is estimated to be 3500 permanent residents and a garrison of 300 soldiers…"

"They must have not expected much trouble with that ratio of citizen to soldier." Shepard said.

So far there was nothing remarkable about the planet or the mission. According to EDI the whole set up on the planet was rather ragtag, with the colonists given a limited budget for infrastructure to maximize profit from the mines. It would not be unheard for a company to skimp on the technology and have communications break down as a result of old and reused parts.

Still, two weeks was a long time to repair a comm relay.

"So there has been no word from the garrison OR the team that was sent to investigate?" Jacob said. He was looking frustrated, perhaps because there had been so little activity recently and more so that the current mission ahead of them looked to be a boring affair.

"None since they landed." EDI responded flatly.

"Well everyone…" Shepard began, "I know it seems hard to live up to the excitement of raiding an ancient enemy base or rescuing ailing ships, but it is a start. Until we can get the Council to come around we have to follow every lead possible."

"What about the ruins that brought us here?" Miranda was standing, arms crossed, looking perplexed. For a ship noted for such glorious deeds, the Normandy seemed to be embarking on such a trivial affair.

"Orbital scans indicate the outlines of what appear to be a large structure 20 kilometers from the colony. We have no visual confirmation of such, but I believe once a team reaches the planet we will be able to confirm or deny their existence."

"Thank you EDI," Shepard said, "We have the information we need. When the ship docks, Garrus, Liara, and Grunt, you are with me. Miranda, you keep watch over the ship."

Shepard was beginning to doubt even herself. Her initial enthusiasm was wearing off. She didn't know what to expect planetside, but so far everything was telling her bumbling colonists and bad tech was the root of the problem.

The trip to the planet did not take long. The docking procedure was automated, initiated by a signal sent by EDI. As the Normandy touched down and Shepard and her team emerged, they looked outside as the docking area closed. A dusty, windy planet that looked like Mars but somehow was remarkably less interesting was all that could be seen.

It was eerily quiet. No one was out to meet them and not a single person could be seen. You might expect even a small docking area to have some activity. As Shepard moved forward, she was on her guard. Something felt wrong, yet everything, despite the lack of humans, seemed in order. Lights were blinking on consoles and automated routines were continuing that allowed docking and refueling for the Normandy.

Suddenly, a figure began lurching toward them from behind several crates. Shepard stopped, and in an instinctual reaction put out her hand in front of Liara as to come to her protection. Grunt and Garrus drew their weapons and aimed…

A pathetic sight was walking towards them. A human, but frighteningly thin, with bones jutting out as if only the barest layers of flesh still clung to him. His face was gaunt, his beard disheveled, and his eyes deeply set with a wild look in them.

"You came!" the figure exclaimed, "We knew you would come Shepard! We knew it!"

The man drew closer. Grunt and Garrus looked to Shepard as if wondering if they should fire. She raised her hand and they dropped their weapons slowly.

"Who are you? How do you know me?" Shepard tried to say the words slowly. She wondered if the person in front of her even possessed the ability to understand her.

The man crept forward, his every step indicated as if the very act of walking was overcoming a great burden. He wore a toothy grin on his face, seemingly excited by the sight of Shepard.

"You…came! We were waiting for you…you came!" He repeated.

Suddenly a powerful voice rang out.

"Mark, get back. Leave them alone."

A well muscled man in the armor of an Alliance soldier stepped forward. He looked like a giant in comparison to the shriveled man in front of him.

"Mark, you shouldn't be here." The soldier said.

He looked then at Shepard and her team.

"Commander Shepard, we were expecting you…"

Shepard looked him over. From afar you might think him an imposing sight, but up close you could see weariness about him. His armor was dented and worn and he had dark circles around his eyes.

"Expecting me? Who are you?" Shepard answered.

"Forgive me…common pleasantries have been lost with exhaustion. I am Second Lieutenant Salazar. We were the team sent to check out the situation on this world and assist…" With that he looked at the emaciated man beside him, "and we have not done a good job of it, as you can see."

"What is going on here? Why is this man starving?" Shepard was completely confused. To see a tired, but seemingly well fed soldier and then a withering man beside him raised some unpleasant questions.

Salazar sighed. "Mark, get back to the facility. Now." The thin man's face dropped into a sad, defeated look. He turned and shuffled away.

"Shepard…you and your team follow me."

They walked for some time through what appeared to be a ghost town of a colony. All around were signs of what might have passed for frenzied activity, but now machines, tools, everything lay quiet.

They saw a large, domed structure.

"This…this is the facility where the colonists are…" Salazar said. He seemed anxious. "Prepare yourself Shepard."

As a large door whooshed open, Shepard and her team were treated to a horrific site. In a large, open building there were what looked to be about one thousand humans. They were cramped together, skeletal men and women mulling about. There were low moans of pain, probably hunger, emanating from the crowd. The wretched stench of such massed and sad humanity assaulted the noses of Shepard and her team, hitting them like a terrible wind.

"This is wrong! What is happening here! What did you do to these people?!" Liara's eyes were narrow, her voice heightened by the injustice she saw.

"This is what is left of the colonists. A thousand out of three times that number." Salazar responded. "We found them wasting away. The crops they were growing in greenhouses failed repeatedly. Their water resources somehow became polluted. We have been trying to share what food we have with us and various emergency rations, but it is hard to split up a thousand ways and still keep my men and those able to fight alive to…well, to face what is out there."

"What is out there? Where are your men?" Shepard inquired. She still was recovering from the shock of what she was seeing.

"Holding the barricades outside the colony. I had three hundred, now I have half that with two hundred more colonists who are still in some shape to hold a gun. You must see it for yourself, where this nightmare began. There I will explain to you what has happened."

As they walked away from the entrance, the door closed quickly. Shepard felt relieved as she couldn't imagine looking at such a sight much longer. That feeling was short lived.

As they walked they came upon several long trenches. The closer they came, the realization of what was half buried there hit the squad.

"Oh…Goddess!" Liara cried. She turned away quickly, grabbing at Shepard's arm and trying to bury her face in the Commander's chest to escape the sight. Shepard wrapped her arms around her as they walked slowly forward. She herself felt sick to her stomach. Grunt merely shook his head and Garrus look briefly and turned away.

In the trenches were layers and layers of human corpses. Eyes wide, frozen expressions of terror and pain on the faces. They were also emaciated, the very outline of their skeletons poking through their skin. The smell of decaying flesh was overpowering. Men, women, children, thrown as if they were trash and hastily covered with earth. Some women's bodies looked as if they were cradling the little ones as if trying to protect them from their agony. A tumbled mess, arms and legs jutting out, bodies contorted.

"They starved," Salazar said flatly, as if unaffected by the sight, "a mercy in the scope of things."

"How can you say that?!" Liara hissed.

"You will see."

They walked on. Finally they came to rows of makeshift barricades facing an open plain. They saw the soldiers, faces wearing an expression of overwhelming exhaustion. They looked as if they would fall over at any moment. None moved to greet the Commander and her squad.

Salazar stopped. Then he pointed out towards the plain.

"Eighteen kilometers that way is where the mines were supposed to be, among some hills identified by orbital scans as containing valuable eezo. What the colonists found instead, and what we have become trapped by, is…well…"

Salazar couldn't finish the sentence, as if he were grasping at words to describe what he saw.

"What did you see?" Shepard asked. She wondered if she even wanted to know the answer.

"It…it is a dark, black…thing. Massive. Tentacles as arms. They excavated it for over a month, thinking it would be worth something. They must have…have activated something. Since then everything has gone wrong. We walked right this mess. We are trapped here…with awful things and visions…"

Shepard knew what they had found. She couldn't believe it.

"The visions…" Salazar continued, "They haunt us in our dreams. Screeching metal. Explosions. Then…you…your face, your name. It was calling for you, demanding you."

"I don't like this, Shepard…" Liara had a look of concern on her face. Her voice sounded strained, almost as if she was a child asking her mother if she could go home now.

Shepard's mind was buzzing. What the hell was happening here? How could they have found something like that? It couldn't be. No, it didn't make sense. Here, in the Milky Way? How?

Salazar broke her train of thought.

"The colonists found an old temple buried around here as well. They considered it a curse. They destroyed it. All but this…"

He motioned to a small box on the ground behind a barricade. He moved to open it. As he did, the soldiers suddenly grimaced; each one now had a look of terror on their faces. As Salazar opened the ornate box, Shepard saw a small, purple cloth covering the inside. He carefully picked up the cloth and it seemed to be wrapped around something. Slowly he removed the covering and turned and showed her what he had.

It was a small statue. Shepard was expecting worse, but as she stared at it she suddenly became very uneasy. It had the body of a man, but the head of a lion. Talons, four wings, and its right hand was pointing upward. A tongue was carved sticking out of its mouth. It seemed to stare back at her.

Suddenly her uneasiness became abject terror. Voices began to whisper in her head. The whispers became words…she couldn't make out who was talking or what they were saying yet. The voices grew louder. Then, she heard her name.

"Shepard."

With one motion she grabbed the cloth out of Salazar's hand and covered the statue, proceeding to throw it on the ground. She gasped for air as if she couldn't breathe. Liara comforted her, she must not have felt what she had.

"What the hell is going on here?!" Shepard said breathlessly.

"You have come now. That is what it wanted. Maybe we will find out. We shouldn't stay here long, as there is dan…"

Suddenly, a soldier rose up and cried, "Look! Something is coming! Someone!"

Out in the distance, a human shape was shambling towards the barricades. The rows of soldiers drew their guns and aimed. It continued forward, drawing ever closer.

Shepard looked out. The full horror of what was happening here had yet to reveal itself.


	2. Chapter 2

_**1**__And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see._

_**2**__And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer._

_**3**__And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see._

_**4**__And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword._

_**5**__And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand._

_**6**__And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine._

_**7**__And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see._

_**8**__**And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.**_

**Pestilence**

Shepard was tense, as was everyone else around her. The figure drew closer to them and gradually the outline of a female form could be seen. The closer this person drew, the clearer it became this was no normal human.

What was once a woman was now just a tool, portions of a person but totally at the whim of greater masters. Half of her body still retained human flesh, as if clinging to her as clothes, but the other parts were blue, almost cybernetic as husks were. Her face had no beauty, but what was left of its feminine features was twisted. Her teeth were no longer in her mouth, but stuck out of one half of her jaw in rows while the other half was limp, an almost permanent sorrowful face as all of indoctrinated husks bore.

"That is what becomes of those who are taken…each night they come for a new harvest from the living and the dead…" Salazar whispered to Shepard.

The Husk was alone, and seemed no threat despite her hideous form. Everyone stood ready as if at any moment she might lash out and reveal some unknown power. Then, the thing spoke.

"Shepard, I given been bidden to give you a message." Its voice did not match its figure. It was flat, robotic but powerful as Sovereign and Harbringer's had been. This was not her speech

Suddenly, the creature stopped and its eyes glowed orange, its body shone out a great light. She was being taken over, as the Collector General's were. Again, it spoke.

"I see she who was slain and reborn, the Chosen among the multitude and the sounder of the trumpets of our coming…"

"I know what you are! What do you want with these people! How…how did you get here?!"

Shepard was at a loss for what to truly say to such a creature. She was still confused as to how a Reaper could be found so far from dark space. She had assumed Sovereign had been the only guardian in the Galaxy…now it seemed that had been a dangerously wrong thought.

"The names you give us are of no concern and I will give you none. I am known for want, poverty, famine and chaos. I bring low the mighty civilizations and turn their people into the beasts that they are. Your food becomes ashes in your mouths, water as poison, and all the trappings of your glories turn into naught. Our song is one of sorrow and loss and soon every world will hear my voice preparing them for salvation from their agony…"

"We want nothing from you! You failed at the Citadel, your slaves the Collectors are extinct, and we will defeat you wherever you show yourselves! I beat you before and I will beat you again!" Shepard said as she stepped forward, almost to bring herself in front of the creature in defiance.

A terrible laugh came out of the Husk and everyone cringed. The sound seemed to be burrowing into the very skulls of those who heard it.

"You truly understand nothing. Every age has had one such as you, Shepard. We seek you out. One who separates the strong from the weak, the wheat from the chaff. You have had many names and many faces, but always you die and are reborn, and by that act become a sacrifice that triggers our true purpose. Your death brings us forth, your blood our glory…."

Shepard rubbed her head. What was this thing telling her? She felt a beating pain in her mind, as the voice of the Reaper was causing her great distress. Liara stepped forward, putting her arm at Shepard's back.

"You heard Shepard! We are not afraid of you and we don't listen to your lies! We will sta…" Liara's speech was interrupted. The Husk turned itself towards her and now the booming voice addressed her fully.

"Liara T'Soni? Yes. I have seen you in our dreams. Your mother sought to make her people the Chosen, to show us the worth of the Asari. What a disappointment you were to her, hiding from the honor she prepared for you since birth…"

Liara's face dropped. What could this monster know of her mother?

"Benezia. I remember now. Even as you hid from your birthright she tried to protect in your stubbornness. She wanted you to remain as you were, innocent and untouched by what she was becoming. She would have shielded you from us if she could, from the Galaxy and its fate…but now look at you."

"I won't listen to you!" Liara screamed. Suddenly a terrible screeching sound tore across the sky and everyone crumbled to their knees. The sound was overpowering and Liara was left alone standing, sadness and pain erasing what confidence she might have had.

The voice continued.

"You are no longer Liara. I give you the name Fallen Star, for how low have you come. You were once so beautiful, so pure…" The Husk stepped forward, it reached its deformed hand and touched Liara's face. The contrast between its hideousness and the young and soft skin of the Asari was jarring. Yet, Liara seemed frozen with a tear rolling down from a single eye.

"Now look at you. I can see what you have done…I see what you have become. What happened to you, Fallen Star? Your mother failed us and now you have failed her. All she wanted for you and now you are so dirty; I can see it on you. The filth, the death, the blood that will never come clean…"

"Leave her alone!" Shepard cried, holding onto her own head and trying to fight the terrible, pounding pain. Liara seemed transfixed. Her lower lip was trembling. Something was happening inside of her, Shepard could FEEL it. She felt as if tentacles of some hidden beast were inside the Asari, exploring her depths and drawing out every pain, massaging into life every secret and self doubt. Her being were being violated and she could not resist.

"Always overshadowed…" the creature continued, its hand still holding Liara's face, gently, as its words cruelly pierced her, "always outclassed. Even now your lover shines brighter than you ever will and it is her race chosen amongst the many. Even now you are a lesser daughter of a greater house, bereft of a mother's love and insufficient to give true comfort and companionship to…"

The Husk never finished its sentence. With one mighty push against the pain in her head, Shepard stood. In a fluid motion she drew her pistol. Two shots rang out and hit the beast's chest. As it fell back one more pierced its skull, silencing it. It crumbled to the ground, empty, its eyes now showing no more light.

There was silence. Shepard looked at Liara. She had not seen her so distraught in some time. Gone was the icy strength she had on Illium or the steely determination she showed at Shepard's side. Her whole face betrayed a terrible sadness.

"Shep…Shepard…" she said as she turned to her lover. It seemed as if she would fall herself.

Shepard ran to her side, catching her in her arms. She held Liara tightly.

"That thing did horrible things to me, Shepard. It felt so ugly…it was inside of her, tearing at me, speaking to me!" Liara whimpered.

"It's alright Liara. I am here now."

The two stood there for some time. Salazar broke the silence.

"What do we do now, Commander?"

Shepard's eyes narrowed. Still holding Liara close she turned to Salazar and all the soldiers before her.

"That thing cannot be allowed to leave this world. It's indoctrination is unlike any other I have seen. It will spread famine, plagues, and do what it did to the colonists here a billion times over. It dies HERE!"

Shepard spoke with a rising fury. Her face revealed a barely contained rage. She was angry. Angry by what she saw here. Angry about what the monster had done to Liara. Angry about the whole goddamn situation since Saren and the Geth.

"What can we do against so much power? They will come at us now, with greater force than they ever have…" Salazar said.

The troops behind him began to mutter, sounds of fear emanating from the crowd.

Shepard was silent for a moment. Then she spoke but a few words.

"Prepare for battle!"

**Drawing the Line**

"Normandy, I need the entire squad but Miranda at the barricades with me…" Shepard was speaking quickly into her communicator, "Miranda, you are in command aboard the Normandy. Power up the engines and at my signal you bring the ship to bear against the Reaper itself. It is too weak to leave…yet. It cannot be allowed to reach a Mass Relay or we may never be able to stop it."

Shepard's plan was relatively simple. Lead an assault against the ruins that covered the buried ship, infiltrate it, and kill the Reaper core while it was still recovering. She figured that if the ship had not left yet, it had not the power to do so.

What worried her more was the fact that IF the ship truly was in a weakened state, and was still able to devastate an entire colony, she could only imagine that at full power what it might be able to do to cities or even entire worlds. Worse, if the Mass Relays were the Reaper's invention, and somehow it could amplify its powers…

She didn't even want to think about it.

Her plan fell apart quickly. It seemed the Reaper intended to strike first. The earth began to shake and in the distance a great cloud of dust rose up.

"It is moving!" Garrus said.

A great thrashing sound was heard in the distance and more and more dust rose into the sky. The Reaper was struggling, gathering its powers. As the dust settled, in the distance thousands of shapes were coming towards the small force of defenders.

"How many colonists died of starvation?" Shepard asked Salazar.

"500 died of starvation. About 1000 remain in the facility, safe, but sickly. The rest…"

"That leaves nearly 2,000 that are…transformed…" Shepard's face now revealed a look of concern.

Shepard sighed. The rest of her squad had arrived and she had little time for preparations.

It had been a long time since Shepard commanded a larger force. She had few men, but at very least husks had no long range weapons. It would come to close combat, eventually, and the enemy would slam into her ranks like a hammer. Looking at her forces she divided them into a long line. Her flanks would be commanded by Garrus and Grunt. Each one would be reinforced and her center, led by herself, would be purposefully weak. Her hope would be to funnel the enemy directly into the heart of her lines, then collapse her stronger flanks in on them, catching the husks in a deadly crossfire and swallowing them whole.

So that was the plan, at least. The soldiers were tired and their morale was low. As she stood in front of them and looked at their faces, she could tell they were on the last of their strength. She also began to realize the colonial "garrison" was made up of very, very young men and women. Some looked as if they were still teenagers.

As Shepard inspected the line, one such young man stood out. He had boyish looks, sandy blonde hair, and his armor looked entirely too big for him. She could see him shaking in fear; his eyes at any moment could burst into tears. She came towards him.

"What is your name, son?"

"Da…Daniel, ma'am," He said meekly followed by a shaky attempt at a salute.

She looked at his weapon. It was an old assault rifle that had seen better days. Scratched, battered, but it still looked as if it could fire a shot, which was all that mattered.

"Let me see that." She said. He handed it to her carefully as if afraid she was going to criticize it.

She looked it over and aimed it into the distant plain, looking through its scope. She then returned it to the boy.

"It seems a fine weapon. I imagine it has seen many battles…"

"It was my fathers. He served in the Alliance."

"He would be proud of you now."

The boy's face sank. "Him and my mother…they wanted to make sure I lived. They gave me all their food rations…what was left. They…they di…" He began to shake again, looking towards the ground in shame as he tried to hold back tears in front of a great war hero.

Shepard put her hand on his shoulder.

"Today you will do them honor. You will avenge them and everyone else who has suffered here. I need you to be brave, though. Can you do that?"

She was looking directly at him. His face rose and he looked her in the eye.

"Yes, Commander!" He said it with as loud a voice as he could muster. He was still shaking, but he seemed more resolved. Just a boy, though. He had no business in a place like this.

With that Shepard's eyes swept across her lines. Mingled in with the soldiers were members of her squad. It was an odd site really, rows of humans with the odd krogan or turian thrown in. At the center stood Liara, surrounded by men in bulky armor. She insisted that she stay near Shepard when the battle began. The Commander stood atop the centermost barrier and began to address her forces. She struggled with the right words to say or even if it would matter.

"I have looked at this force and for its small size I have never encountered a braver group of men and women. You have resisted a power that would have caused others to crumble. Yet, I see in your faces, you are tired, you are afraid. You have every reason to be. I have faced the Reaper's before, and their power is terrible, their appetite for destruction insatiable…"

She saw hundreds of eyes looking up at her, for any glimmer of hope she might offer.

"I do not come here to tell you we will survive. In fact, I would say we put all such thoughts out of our head. I would ask you instead to think of all of those who you loved, who have suffered and died. I would ask you to remember their faces, who they were and what they meant to you. I ask you not to fight for your lives, but for theirs. I ask you not to fight for our safety, but for their vengeance. The force before us would swallow the entire Galaxy, but it was humans who defeated Sovereign. At every turn our species has raised its fist in defiance of their plans and today it is no different. This is the first true battle of the Reaper War, and I would say that for all of those who have fallen and those who are in danger, not just humanity but asari, turian, krogan, drell, and all the other races of this Galaxy, that in their names we will drive a knife into the heart of the Reapers again. We will show them that this Galaxy will not accept our fates without a struggle. Humanity will strike the first blow and your names will be remembered for a sacrifice that once again spared so many from suffering. Know also that today, Victoria Shepard, a hated name among our enemy, will stand with you unto death. Will you stand with me? Will you turn your hearts hard, fan your hatred, and pour it on our enemy?!"

Suddenly the soldiers roared to life. Vengeance! For the fallen! It seemed that for the moment their weary bodies now were reenergized.

Liara looked at Shepard. She had seen her lead before, but this time it was different. The soldiers hung on her every word, they saw her anger, her strength, and she gave them the same. The Asari felt something stirring inside her. Pride? She was proud of Shepard. She smiled.

Shepard returned to her place at the center. Kneeling in front of a barricade she aimed her weapon. The enemy was drawing nearer now, closing the distance quickly.

"Hold your fire until my command!" she yelled.

"Make every shot count!"

Liara reached out and touched Shepard's shoulder.

"I am not letting you out of my sight, Victoria. Don't you go running off into danger without me."

The Asari smiled at Shepard. Victoria looked at her and stole a quick kiss on Liara's forehead.

The force that was before them was horrifying. There were husks, but far different than any Shepard had encountered. Some were as red as blood, flesh still clinging to them, their eyes burning with a hidden fire. Their claws were long and crackling with power. There were scions, but they were more monstrous, larger and they moved with a terrible speed. Moans could now be heard from the mindless horde in front of them

"Hold!" Shepard said again.

They came closer.

"HOLD!!!!!!!"

The soldiers' willpower held.

Now you could see even the minute details of the enemy. They were rushing now, right towards Shepard. Right into their deaths.

"SEND THEM BACK TO THE DARKNESS!" Shepard roared.

Suddenly the front of her line fired, all at once. A steady stream was being poured into the husks, but it seems there shields were more resilient. Rather than withering away as they might have before, they withstood far more shots than Shepard had remembered them capable of. Suddenly, from their midst abominations ran out, rushing into the lines of her troops. One made it in range of a group of soldiers to Shepard's right and exploded, sending bits of flesh, human and husk, flying in all directions. Men in her lines began to scream in pain. Then, the enemy was upon them. There was the great cracking of bone and flesh as the enemy pressed into them. The great chorus of battle could be heard. Grunting, smashing, shooting. Her lines held though, so far.

Slowly Shepard had her center give up ground, falling back further and further behind different barricades. The enemy pressed forward, deeper and in deeper into her lines. So far the plan was working; they were taking the bait mindlessly and following Shepard right into the heart of her forces.

Just a little bit longer. They just had to hold a little bit longer until all the enemy fell into the trap. Men in front of her were using their guns as bludgeons, smashing husks left and right. Shotguns were now the weapon of the moment for those who had them, and when they fired entire groups of the enemy would fall backwards. Liara's hands were flashing with biotic power. She was throwing, pushing, pulling, and blasting in every direction. Her eyes glowed blue, a field of raw power surrounded her.

Then Shepard saw a scion in the midst of her enemy. The scions were the slowest of the opponent's troops, and if they were now approaching it must mean the enemy was totally committed against her.

"Garrus, Grunt, up and charge them! Push forward and fall in on the enemy!!!"

With that, Shepard gathered her own biotic power, she glowed blue and then in a flash she charged directly at the scion in front of her. As she charged, husks fell in her wake until she smashed into her target, sending any around flying.

Liara saw Shepard out ahead, surrounded now by the enemy.

"Shepard is alone!!!" she yelled, as she now ran forward, sending forth shockwaves with both her hands and clearing a path to the Commander. Behind her soldiers followed firing and smashing any in their way.

Everything seemed to be according to plan. The husks and scions were so boxed in that the enemy barely had room to move. As Grunt and Garrus moved forward, they were cutting down the immobilized enemy in great swaths. It seemed as if a great wave was crashing and soon none of the Reaper's forces would survive this weight of this force.

Victory was upon the defenders, and the spirits of the troops now soared. Then, the ground shook beneath them. In the distance a giant tentacle rose, then another. The Reaper ship was pulling itself up, trying to rise into the sky.

"Normandy! Fly now! Use everything you have against that ship! It cannot leave the atmosphere!"

"Affirmative, Commander!"

The Reaper must have realized its delaying tactic was failing, Shepard thought. The enemies that had not been swallowed up were now being pressed back. Rather than falling in anymore, her line was reforming and pushing forward. The enemy was being scattered into the wind. Shepard was ahead of them all, charging back and forth between targets and picking them off one by one. The thrill of victory filled her and had overtaken her senses. She didn't realize how far ahead of her allies she was.

As the enemies lines thinned it seemed as if the entire affair was almost over. Then in one moment, everyone's heart skipped a beat.

A great, darkness came crashing down in front of Shepard. As it cleared, she looked upon a nightmarish site.

It was a Reaper, a real Reaper. The glowing avatar of the sleeping God ship. Its bottom half was like that of a man, legs as wide as tree trunks, arms muscular and strong. Its hands were long tentacles, each one looking like a terrible collection of whips. Its face was that of the statue, animal like with a tongue slithering in and out of its mouth. Four wings emerged from its back and a symbol of weighing scales was etched into its chest.

Everyone was frozen, the sounds of battle silenced.

Then it spoke, its voice booming and echoing across the plain.

"Why do you seek to stop the ascension of your own people? Do you not see the futility of your current existence? The pain, the death, the sorrow and sickness? With our power we will show you your frailty and we could spare you such. We would raise your species up to a level of being beyond your reckoning. You would become as we are, Chosen, immortal, forever ruling in the Heavens. Your rapture is salvation! We would glorify you and yet you still spit at our gifts!"

Shepard was in no mood to engage in a philosophical debate. Her adrenaline still pumping, she cocked her Claymore shotgun and aimed at the enemy, firing. The shots were absorbed by an unknown shield, pitter-pattering helplessly against the monster.

"You will kneel by your own will, in time. For now, I will force you to!"

Suddenly, the Reaper raised its terrible hands, and from each tentacle sprang forth terrible biotic force. Raw sheets of energy fell on Shepard and she crumbled to the ground.

"Only a taste of our power. You forget we control the very energy behind your biotics…" the Reaper mockingly said.

Lt. Salazar rushed forward, firing his rifle at the beast in an attempt to distract it. Waving its hand, almost dismissingly, the Reaper caused the soldier's body to rise into the air. Suddenly it seemed as if his very blood was boiling, his skin sizzling. He screamed and then his body exploded with his flesh and insides spraying in every direction.

Shepard tried raising herself up slowly, her strength waning. The Reaper's tentacles came down upon her, slapping her to the ground again.

Liara could take no more. She rushed towards her beloved, even as a soldier tried to hold her back. Raising her hands she put forth a biotic shield over Shepard's body.

"You will die in this place! Don't you see you are defeated?" the Asari yelled at the great beast before her.

The Reaper raised its hands again. Red blasts of energy shattered the shield, causing Liara to reel back. Suddenly, Liara herself rose into the air.

"What a mewling weakling you are, Fallen Star. Like your mother before you, ever a failure. Go now into the same oblivion that took her …" with that, the Reaper once again waved its hand.

Liara let out a terrible scream. Then her body was flung, hitting a small outcropping of rocks. There her body fell. She moved no more.

Shepard had managed to stand now. She looked up and in the distance she saw the Reaper ship as if it were standing on all of its tentacles now. It was rising, slowly. The Normandy flew by, its forward batteries firing. She now looked at where Liara had fallen. The Asari was motionless, a trickle of blood running down her mouth.

Shepard's whole body ached. Voices, names, places were running through her heard. She had only a small reserve of strength left. Her body glowed blue, biotic power building up.

It was a suicidal maneuver. A biotic charge against so large a being. She had no choice. She was going to end this here, one way or the other.


	3. Chapter 3

_**11**__Then I saw another beast, coming out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, but he spoke like a dragon. __**12**__He exercised all the authority of the first beast on his behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. __**13**__And he performed great and miraculous signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to earth in full view of men. __**14**__Because of the signs he was given power to do on behalf of the first beast, he deceived the inhabitants of the earth. He ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. __**15**__He was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that it could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed._

**Hour of Wolves**

Shepard felt the impact as she slammed into the Reaper-monster. Her target was its head, and as she came upon it the beast reeled. She found herself sitting atop it, looking down upon the ground as if she were looking through the eyes of her target itself. The Reaper began to thrash, raising its twisted hands to try to cast the unwelcome rider to the ground. Shepard held on, she had to. She needed to end this.

Noticing the danger their Commander was in and seeing Dr. T'Soni's seemingly lifeless body crumpled on the dusty ground, the remaining soldiers and Shepard's squad rallied. From afar, they began to fire upon the legs and belly of the Reaper. The shots hit the monster, dissipating and appearing as if it was merely the buzzing of gnats not the impact of kinetic weaponry upon the body of the giant. Even so, the troops continued their attack. Sniper shots, incendiary rounds, combat drones, cryo-blasts, any power or weapon that could be unleashed was.

Above the field of battle, the Normandy was coming around for another pass at the far off Reaper ship. The black, squid-like being was slowing raising itself off the ground. Seeing the threat to itself, it had begun to shoot red beams of molten metal from its tentacles at the singular vessel. Bobbing and weaving, the Normandy was desperately trying to engage the ancient vessel, so far with limited results.

With Shepard holding onto the monster's head for dear life, the Reaper began assaulting the attackers in front of it. With great sweeps of its monstrous tentacles dozens of men would go flying into the air, falling to the ground dead. The soldiers pulled back, but continued their relentless attack. The Reaper roared like a great beast before its prey, its body now tingling with red energy, its eyes afire.

With her hand clinging to the monster's head and with another hand holding onto her shotgun, Shepard aimed directly at the beast. She knew this shot was going to hurt, her weapon designed not to be fired from one hand but two. She had no choice. As she pulled the trigger, the recoil of the shot felt as if it would tear her arm off. She released her grip on her enemy only long enough to cock her weapon and fire again and again and again. Red hot thermal clips were emptied with each blast and finally as she pulled the trigger, she heard a helpless click. Raising herself up she began to bring her gun down upon the monster's head as a bludgeon, again and again smashing her weapon on the beast. She was sweating, her arms aching, but her anger, her hatred gave her strength. The far off sight of Liara lying helplessly and broken in the field, the image of her troops desperately attempting to help her drove the Commander into a rage.

The Reaper's animal like head was disfigured; the close range shots with fiery rounds had given the appearance of plastic melting. Its features were twisted now, black liquid pouring from dozens of wounds. Yet, somehow it still found the strength to resist. It was now driving right towards the center of Shepard's lines, her squad and those soldiers surrounding it were in grave danger. At this moment Shepard threw herself from the top of the beast, falling directly in front of the monster. It paused, as if in shock of so hopeless a maneuver. Shepard raised herself slowly, her body finally betraying her. Blood, dust, sweat and even tears now matted her features. She looked less like a woman and more like a terrible force of nature. Panting heavily, she stared up the Reaper before her.

"Why won't you die, you son-of-a-bitch?! Go back to the void that spawned you!" she roared. Her eyes glowed red, a powerful biotic field began to appear around her. This was unlike any other field commanded by mortals, it crackled and sizzled with terrible power, storms of energy surrounded Shepard's form. Her pupils were replaced by a terrible light emanating from her eyes. The very ground itself began to shake. Even Shepard's allies' looked on in awe and fear as they began to retreat behind whatever barriers they could find.

The Reaper, being a sentient machine, a living God that seemingly could not know fear stood silent. For all its power, its inaction and even the fact that it staggered back indicated it was unsure of what to make of such a display.

The field grew larger and more unstable; bolts of energy began flashing out striking random locations on the ground. Suddenly Shepard rose off the ground and raised her arms. All of the energy began to focus between her hands as if drawn into a singularity. The energy seemed to contract into nothing, then in one moment, a blinding flash and impact. The Reaper was consumed with a biotic fire; a terrible screeching noise pierced the sky. The Machine God seemed to be falling apart, its wings withering, its arms falling off and blowing into the wind as dust.

"Such terrible power…among our number you would be our greatest…" were the last, somber words of the beast as it crumbled to the ground.

As the Reaper's avatar faded, the ship that was to bear it into the Galaxy was now mortally weakened. Each shot from the Normandy now pierced its armor as if a knife was through paper. A blast from its mighty thanix cannon blew a gaping hole into the black ship, causing it to fall to the earth. The impact sent out a great shockwave, creating an expanding, massive cloud of dust that flew into every direction. The troops on the ground shielded their faces for the impact. As the cloud passed and dust settled, one could look out and see a powerful scene.

There stood Victoria Shepard, battered, bloodied, and alone. Before her was the crumpled form of a God. Around her were husks, corpses, and the remains of what was a great battle. There was now an eerie silence. No one dared move. The sight seemed too unbelievable.

The silence was broken by the desperate sound of Shepard running. She fell upon the body of Liara and placed her hands upon the asari. A few of the squad mates, Tali, Garrus, Grunt and Mordin, ran out to help their commander.

"Liara, Liara, wake up! It's alright now. You can wake up!" Shepard was cradling the Asari's body in her arms. She ran her bloodied and dusty hands over the face of Liara as if trying to use the sensation of a lover's touch to draw Liara back to her.

Liara did not move. Her eyes remained closed.

Mordin placed two of his long fingers on the neck of the Asari.

"Shepard…there is no pulse." He said flatly.

"Give her medi-gel, quickly!"

The salarian nodded dutifully and passed his hand over the body of Liara. His omni-tool glowed briefly as an application of the life-saving medi-gel was applied.

Liara remained motionless.

The grim reality of the situation began to dawn on Shepard. She began to shake Liara, tears falling upon the fine features of the Asari.

"Oh no, Liara. Damn it, don't leave me here. This isn't happening. Liara, please! You promised me! Please, damn it, wake up!" Shepard was growing desperate, her voice hoarse.

Mordin looked at Garrus and shook his head. Garrus' shoulders sank. He kneeled and put his hand on Shepard's shoulders.

"Shepard…she's…she's not goi…"

Shepard shrugged the turian's hands off of her.

"Give her another application! Another shot!" she pleaded.

"Commander Shepard, she has been without a pulse for…" Mordin began.

"Goddamnit, I said give her another application!" Her eyes were wild, desperate. Her hair stuck to her forehead, messy and unkempt.

Mordin looked again at Garrus. The turian nodded.

Once again, the doctor passed his hands over Liara and once again medi-gel was applied to the asari.

No response.

"No…no please! Please! Liara!" Shepard was sobbing now. Her eyes were like rivers without end, her voice shaking as she gasped for air with each word. She drew the asari into her chest and began to rock back and forth, crying.

No one could be unmoved by this sight. The human soldiers watched from afar. The scene was heartbreaking even to them, who knew nothing of the relationship between Liara and Shepard. The squad mates themselves were now teary-eyed. A companion was dead, their commander broken.

"Please…PLEASE!" The commander was pleading to an unseen force, to the very air itself. Suddenly she broke out into a terrible noise, a cry from the deepest parts of her being.

"Liara!" she said, again and again. She placed a hand upon the crest of the asari, as if desperate to try to ignite the same mind-linking Liara had used when they were together. Her hand moved over the face of her lover, as if seeking a special trigger that would draw them together.

Shepard closed her eyes, trying to recapture the feeling of them being together, their beings tied one into the other.

Tali was leaning into Grunt now. She had turned off her voice module, but by her shaking you could tell she was crying. No one who stood above Shepard had the heart to pull the human away.

Shepard saw only darkness, the lack of light when ones eyelids were closed. No mystical experience, nothing that would ignite the same power the asari had. Her sadness became frustration, her frustration a deep thirst for vengeance. Suddenly her hands glowed red, unseen by herself but witnessed by her companions.

Shepard felt as if she was falling. Falling into an endless chasm. There in the distance was another figure, spinning as it too was descending rapidly into nothingness. Shepard seemed so far away from this person. She reached out her hand, but seemed to draw no closer.

If one could "push" oneself faster while free falling, Shepard was trying. The technique seemed to work, as the other person became clearer and closer. She saw Liara, her face full of fear, spinning wildly out of control.

"They said there would be a light!" the asari cried.

"Liara, I am here! Reach out to me!"

Liara did not respond, but Shepard was drawing closer.

"Liara! Give me your hand!"

The asari did not respond.

Shepard was upon Liara now. With her hands outstretched, she grabbed onto the falling person in front of her. She was holding her now, but they were both still falling. Looking to Liara's eyes, she spoke.

"Please come back with me! You promised you wouldn't leave me! You promised!" Shepard said desperately.

"I can't Shepard. I can only see darkness, I am afraid."

"I am with you, Liara. We are in darkness together, but we have each other. Just hold onto me and we can make it!"

"I am so afraid, Shepard. I feel as if I am being choked…I am scared!"

"Cling to me Liara! Cling to me and let us be done with this!"

The asari seemed to be looking past Shepard, as if she was blind to the sight of the woman holding her.

"Believe me, Liara. I am here! Just hold me!"

With that, Liara, seemingly as if by faith, reached her arms around Shepard. Feeling that her companion was there, the asari tightened her grip.

Shepard was brought back into reality by a large gasp. The body in her arms was breathing, desperately taking in air. Her vision returning, the commander looked down and saw Liara coming back to her. The young asari's eyes now fixed on Shepard.

"Shepard! Shepard!" Liara said, as she clung tightly to her beloved.

Shepard held Liara close to her. Her squad mates were stunned, as all present on the field were now gathered in a circle above the two.

"Can you move, Liara?" Shepard asked, her eyes drying themselves, her voice returning to her.

"I can barely feel my legs. I am so weak…"

"Grunt!" Shepard said.

The krogan stood at attention.

"Take Liara back to the ship. I don't know what injuries she might have, but keep her awake. Talk to her until she gets to Doctor Chakwas."

The krogan kneeled. His massive arms seemed almost gentle as he took the limp asari from Shepard's arms.

"I forgot how squishy you people are." Grunt said. "Luckily, I have many tales from the tank to entertain you on our walk. Ah! A humorous one. Let me tell you of the time a great krogan warrior defeated a turian in single combat and used the enemy's spinal cord as a weapon to drive off a pack of varren! You'll like this one!" The krogan walked slowly into the distance carrying Liara carefully back to the ship.

Shepard stood, but she felt her weakness come upon her. She stumbled, instinctively reaching her arm towards Garrus for support.

"You look like shit, Commander." The turian said.

"Thanks, you are looking pretty good there yourself. Nice armor by the way. Ever going to get that big broken part fixed?" Shepard responded, smiling weakly.

Looking at her squad mates, her senses as a commander returned. She didn't know what the hell just happened, how she defeated the Reaper or what transpired between her and Liara. They didn't have time to discuss it.

"Fan out!" she began, "Check for any survivors of the battle and use the medi-gel you have if you can save them. Mordin, you will serve as our battlefield medic. Garrus, get a message to the Normandy to get any food and supplies we can spare to the colonists. Have Miranda send a message to ANYONE who will listen that this planet needs immediate assistance. Food, medical supplies, all of that. Alliance, Cerberus, pirates, Geth, I don't care, anyone who can be here soon!"

The squad moved quickly across to their tasks.

Shepard surveyed the battle scene. She had forgotten what such a sight looked like after so long being apart from larger units. Broken bodies, the moaning of the injured. She moved as quickly as her own weakened form would allow, checking body after body for signs of life. So far, she came upon only tragedy.

Then, among a pile of husks, she saw movement.

"Mordin! I need you!" she yelled.

There, buried among the enemy, was a young face looking out at her. It was the boy who she had spoken to before the battle. Daniel. She kneeled down and touched his hair gently. His face was pale, he was shaking in pain.

"Daniel? Are you alright?" a stupid question in retrospect, Shepard thought.

The boy looked at her.

"I…I tried my best. One of the monsters got me right in the gut and then everything went dark. I woke up like this…I tried my best…" he said weakly.

"You did well. You did very well. You were brave. Look how many enemies you killed! You saved your friends, the other colonists…"

"How bad is it…" Daniel asked suddenly.

Shepard pushed aside some of the bodies on top of him. Her face registered her horror, giving the answer to the boy without using words. His hand was splayed across his stomach as if it were trying to hold in his guts. The entire bottom half of his body was a complete mess.

Mordin looked at Shepard. She read in his eyes that this boy would not survive his wounds.

"I am not going to make it, am I?" Daniel asked.

Shepard looked at him, eyes wide.

"It…it's ok. I fought bravely. I fought besides Commander Shepard. I will not be ashamed when I join my family…"

"You are right, Daniel. You are going home now…where you belong."

He began to shake more violently. He was going into shock.

"Daniel, listen to me, is there anything I can do for you? Anything you want me to tell someone?!"

He didn't have much time left.

"I…I…I have never kissed a girl…" he said.

Shepard smiled, leaning forward she placed her lips on the boys cheek, right next to his own mouth. She lingered there for a moment and pulled back.

"I kissed Commander Victoria Shepard! Everyone would be so jealous!" he said, smiling weakly. Suddenly his hand grabbed Shepard's arm tightly. His eyes widened.

"Mommy!" he said. Then he lay silent, his grip loosening. He was gone.

Shepard shook her head in sadness. This would be the first of many terrible sights in this war. She put her hands over the boy's eyes and closed them. She stood and continued the grim task ahead of her.

There were not many survivors, unfortunately, among the fallen. Garrus finally caught up to Shepard.

"The Normandy has landed and messages sent. Several governments are responding and the first ships should arrive soon. Some of our crew is tending to the sick back at the facility." Garrus said.

"Liara is fine, by the way." He seemed to read Shepard's mind, "Chakwas says surprisingly she has few injuries. Her…her, well, her earlier situation seemed to result from the Reaper's power. It just seemed to shut her off, her heart, brain, and all the signals in her body. I don't know how you did what you did…but she will be alright."

Shepard smiled. One small bit of good news.

"Liara did seem a bit disturbed though. I guess krogan's have a very different definition of humor than we do."

They both laughed. It was good to laugh at such a terrible time.

"The Council won't be able to deny what we have here Shepard. A dead Reaper, secrets in an old temple, they will have to believe us now. When we get to the Citadel…"

The Citadel. Suddenly Shepard's attention drew into herself. Voices, faces, names. A vision appeared to her.

She was looking through someone's eyes. She saw herself and Anderson. They were in the Council chambers. She could faintly here her own voice. She was discussing Saren. This vision was from years ago. Her vision was fixed on herself and Anderson. What was she looking at? Who was looking more importantly?

The image changed. She heard voices upon voices. Whispers, lies. She saw a room, well decorated and obviously for someone important. She saw plans displaying themselves on a data pad. A bomb. A bomb like the one used on Virmire. She then heard words. "Decapitate. Cut off the head. No hope. Our message will be clear."

The Council. A Councillor.

Shepard's eyes widened at the revelation.

"Garrus! Get the ship ready, we have to leave NOW!" she said frantically.

"Commander…what?! What about the colonists? The dead? The Reaper shi…"

"Now damnit! Get everyone aboard! We don't have time! Set course for the Citadel and get me a secure channel as soon as we arrive at the ship. I have to talk to C-Sec…to Bailey!"

Garrus was confused, but he followed orders. The entire crew rushed back to the ship. Luckily, aid ships were detected not far off from the planet, so the colonists and soldiers left behind would soon be tended to.

Aboard ship her crew was questioning Shepard. What are we doing? What is happening? Shepard had no clear answers, just feeling.

"Something terrible is going to happen on the Citadel." She said to one such inquiry.

"What? What is going to happen Shepard? Are you feeling alright?" Miranda said.

"I…I feel. A traitor." She said flatly.


	4. Chapter 4

**_Writers Note: I have the intention of writing a short epilogue to this story, so this is not truly "the end", dear friends._**

**A Spreading Madness**

Shepard and several of her squad mates arrived aboard the Citadel in full battle gear. Throwing anyone in their way aside, they ran into Bailey.

"We have security on full alert, but we don't know what you are looking for…" he said.

"No time, Bailey. Get me to the Presidium, to the Council." Shepard said frantically.

"They are meeting right now, I can assure you they are well…"

Shepard shot him an impatient look. He nodded and they all rushed to the Presidium.

As they arrived, the scene could not be more tranquil. Gentle waters, people moving and discussing business. Shepard looked around, confused.

Suddenly, a terrible explosion, gunshots, and smoke poured from the Council chambers entrance. A woman ran out screaming, holding her wounded head as blood poured across her face.

"They have the Council! Terrorists! Terrorists!" she yelled.

Shepard looked at Bailey. They ran as fast as they could towards the tower.

It felt eerie really to enter the Council chambers under such circumstances. It was only a few years ago she was rushing up these very same steps to fight Saren. She was about to feel a whole lot more déjà vu in just a few moments.

There, in the center of the Council chambers where three of the most powerful people in the Galaxy stood to make their proclamations, was a lone Turian. On the stairs below him was an Asari, a Salarian, and Anderson, all bound and mouths taped shut. There were bodies all around of fallen security guards, killed by unseen enemies. As the turian turned, Shepard's faced dropped.

It was the Turian Councillor himself. In his hand he held a trigger, linked probably to a massive bomb planted in the chambers.

"Stop this!" Shepard cried.

The turian eyes were sad, pleading.

"Don't you see, Shepard. There is no more hope. We can't resist such a force. They have shown me what waits for us. This is mercy, this is surrender. We must give in…" he said.

"Don't listen to them Councillor! They are liars! They can be beaten, WE can beat them! Put the trigger down!"

Suddenly the turian's face hardened. His voice became stronger.

"You are not meant to be here Shepard. This is not your place…" he began," You may win a thousand battles, but against the darkness that is gathered at our borders, there can be only defeat!"

"Stop this! You can figh…"

"My brothers and I will ring in a new age! I go into oblivion, the peace that my masters have promised me!" With that he raised up the trigger and prepared to press it.

"Take it!" Shepard yelled.

A shot rang out, striking the Councilor in the head. He fell backwards, the trigger falling to the ground. Shepard's heart skipped a beat as the small device rolled on the floor helplessly. Seeing that there was no explosion, she glowed blue and charged the falling body of the Councilor, sending the corpse flying.

In a moment, it was over. She looked down at the Councilor's before her. The asari's face showed a terrible fear in her eyes. Shepard knelt and removed her bonds and the tape that covered her mouth. The Councilor gasped for breath.

"I can't believe it…" she said.

Soon, security guards were swarming the area. The Councilors were freed.

"Burn his body with incendiary rounds. I am not taking any chances…" Shepard told her squad mates.

Garrus and Grunt marched down towards the fallen Turian, their grim task at hand.

As things settled down, Shepard and her squad were hurried away into a large room. The Salarian and Asari Councilor were present, as was Anderson and a few others. On holographic displays, a surprise visitor in the Illusive Man appeared as did Admiral Hackett.

"We wronged you, Commander Shepard" began the asari, "we turned our backs on the truth. We were deceived. A snake amongst our ranks. Unbelievable."

"More than an apology, we owe you action." said the Salarian.

"Shepard, war is upon is. This Council is insufficient to face the threat. We will call a Council not of peace, but of war in its place." Anderson said, standing tall and rigid as a military man would.

"A call will go out" continued the asari, "to all races across the Galaxy. Any who would raise the banner of war against our common enemy, the Reapers, is welcome to have a representative on this council. Quarians, krogans, batarians, even the Geth should they choose…"

Turning to the Illusive Man and Admiral Hackett's image, she continued, "We turn to humanity and the Alliance to help lead us. We may have our…differences with Cerberus' methods, but our situation leaves us no choice. If you fight the Reapers, we must all work together to face this common threat. We will rely on you, Illusive Man, to help us wage war against those enemies who would undo us from within."

The Illusive Man could barely contain a sardonic smile.

"Cerberus will be more than happy to assist in any way we can." he responded. The idea of aliens groveling to him must have been no small delight.

"We will need a replacement for the Turians representative in light of recent events…" the Salarian interjected.

"Yes, someone who knows the Reapers and what it means to fight them…" Anderson said, continuing the other Councilor's thought.

Their eyes suddenly turned towards Garrus. The turian reacted with shock, raising his hands and backing away.

"Uh…well…um, I don't think so." He said nervously.

The asari Councilor smiled. "We all must serve where we are needed. There will be time for persuasion later. As for me, I can think of an asari matriarch we scorned in the past on Thessia…" she looked down in shame as she said those words, "who may yet prove a better Councilor than I to lead this effort…"

"As for you Udina…" Anderson said as he turned to the ambassador, who so far had sat quietly in the corner, "the Alliance is promoting you. You are to serve as the Alliance's political consul for this war effort. You will coordinate the government's response back home while I try to work on our interactions with other species…"

The ambassador nodded and smiled. He too was well pleased with his new role.

"There is much to coordinate and it will take some time, "the Salarian began, "perhaps you and your crew, Shepard, can enjoy some much needed rest on our station. We owe you much, and all that we can offer you is yours." He said.

"Thank you, Councilor." Shepard said. Her crew could use some rest. Hell, she could use some rest. Her body felt as if it had been hit with ten thousand blows and her muscles were reduced to flattened steaks.

The War Against the Reapers was inaugurated. Messages were sent, pieces were moving. Fleets and troops were being mobilized and shadowy agents were dispatched to root our traitors and enemies of this cause.

In the shadows, other snakes were slithering forward.

On Earth, a crowd of tens of thousands watched as one man spoke. He was charismatic, good looking, and powerful.

"Aliens have betrayed us time and time again…" he said to his audience, "yet we think that now they will aid us? We do not NEED these backstabbers! What have they done for Earth? Do our people still not suffer? Is our world still direly in need of repair? I say let us use the Reaper ship that Commander Victoria Shepard, a HUMAN, captured! Let us use it for our purposes! Bring it to Earth! Let us lead this war on our own and gain our rightful place!"

The crowd roared in support of his motion. Millions more at home, watching from afar, nodded and yelled in agreement.

"Humanity first! Humanity forever! Glory to the race that has faced the Reaper threat so far! Glory to Commander Shepard! Let us do her honor and show the Galaxy our might!" he yelled, raising his fist towards the heavens.

Aboard a ship in the Quarian fleet, Admiral Xen watched the results of her cruel research. Geth were being taken apart, piece by piece, and studied. It would not be long now before her people would be redeemed and their creation returned to them. She would not suffer the weakness of the rest of the Admiralty Board, and when the time was right, they would join her or face death.

All across the Galaxy, trumpets were blowing. Sleeping agents were now activated, and dark things were awakening. The Reapers were gathering all the enemies of sentient life to them, all of their slaves, and the call had gone out. Trumpets were blowing, ancient seals were being undone.

**Never Let Go**

_Dear Beloved, we admire Thee, _

_Who can tell Thy preciousness; _

_All Thy love we deeply treasure _

_And Thine untold loveliness. _

_3 Thou art fairer than the fairest, _

_Thou art sweeter than the sweet; _

_Thou art meek and Thou art gracious, _

_None can e'er with Thee compete. _

_4 Full of myrrh are all Thy garments, _

_And Thy lips are filled with grace; _

_In the savor of Thy suffering, _

_We in love Thyself embrace._

_-Hymn 170, W. Lee_

The loud beating of electronic music was muffled in the large, private chamber that had been provided to Shepard and her crew. The dark and spacious booths were left mostly unfilled, excepting a few stragglers and hopeless drunks who now laid down the burdens of their revelry.

Most of the crew was outside, on the dance floor, drinking, having fun. After such a battle, there would be a lot of hangovers and many awkward hook ups, but Shepard was glad everyone could let loose.

Shepard sat at one booth, far removed from the rest. Liara was next to her, but there was space between them. The asari had been quiet all night.

Shepard remembered the first time her and Liara came to such a club. Flux, it had been called. Shepard had thought that the slightly nerdy scientist would be an awkward dancer, but Liara had led her by the hand to the floor and moved with such fluid grace that she made the Commander feel greatly outclassed. It didn't take long for Liara to take the reins of leading on the dance floor. Shepard remembered as she had sweat, trying to keep up, head against Liara. She took in her scent, she felt her body rubbing against hers. The asari had even shocked Shepard at how risqué some of the moves she pulled were. That was one of the first times they had even been so close. More than a few male AND female eyes had been on Liara that night, but none had the courage, or stupidity, to try to make a pass at the date of the first human SPECTRE.

Tonight was different. So much had happened. Shepard was preoccupied too, with so many thoughts. She could only imagine what Liara was thinking about. The harsh words the creature had about her mother, the feeling of being invaded in her mind, her near-death.

"Liara, sit closer to me." Shepard finally said.

Liara smiled meekly and scooted a few inches closer. Despite being the worst kept secret on the Normandy, Liara was modest about her relationship with Shepard. Aboard ship, when they were not in the Commander's room, Liara tried her very best to maintain an image of "professionalism". As wise as she may have become as a powerful information broker, she was still blind to her obvious body language, the instinctual touches she would brush past Shepard's body during meetings. If people didn't know there was something going on, they'd have to be pretty oblivious. Even so, Liara tried.

"Liara! I said sit closer to me!" Shepard demanded playfully.

Liara shifted a bit closer, but not too close.

Sighing heavily, Shepard moved right next to Liara, feeling her warmth. She put her arms under Liara's legs and pulled the asari's body onto her lap. Liara put her hand over her head, obviously embarrassed.

"Shepard! People will see!" Liara said, her color changing to reflect the blood rushing to hear face.

"I don't care if THEY see. I want you near me!"

Liara had been right, of course. A few of the stumbling and tired drunks across the room gave out a "Oooooooooh!", whistled, or gave the famous "Ow! Ow! Ow!" It was all in good fun, and they were her crew, her family. Shepard just laughed.

Shepard looked into Liara's eyes.

"Liara, I know you are thinking of those awful things you experienced. Those awful things that monster said…"

"What if it was right, Shepard? All those things…Illium and after…my Mother…what if she was…" Liara said.

"Liara, listen to me!" Shepard pulled Liara's face towards her, "Your mother was proud of you. Her last words were of love to you. As for yourself, you did what you had to, bravely and with strength. I owe you everything, the Galaxy owes you so much. More than that, you have my love now…."

There was silence for a bit as Liara thought.

"Shepard?" she asked.

"Yes, Liara?"

"Why does it always feel like this Galaxy is so full of ugliness? Every time we win or see a flash of beauty…it is taken away by so much darkness? Like a flower withering in a shadow…"

Shepard paused. That was a hell of a question.

"Liara," Shepard began, "there is a lot of darkness in this Galaxy, which I cannot deny. It will probably get darker with the days ahead…" her words so far did little to reassure the asari, "but I can tell you one thing. There will not always be light, or even light at the end of that tunnel. That is when we hold onto those things most important to us, those people who we cherish. Holding fast to that, we learn to no longer be afraid of the dark. When the light does come, we find ourselves stronger, bound closer to our friends and loved ones. I am holding on to you Liara, as are so many others. Everyone loves you! Tali, Garrus, even EDI when she tries to pop in on you when you are undressing…"

Liara chuckled.

"What about you Shepard? How do you feel about this asari?"

Shepard put her hands on Liara's face.

"My feelings don't matter."

Liara's eyes widened.

"Feelings change Liara, like the wind. I KNOW that I love you, more than anything else. You are part of me, permanently bound to me. You are the puzzle piece that completes me, complements my every trait, and I could never do without you. I KNOW I need you. I KNOW that I cherish you, everyday, and still not enough."

Liara smiled. She kissed Shepard on the mouth, deeply. A few more "oooohs!" registered in the distance. As Liara pulled away from their kiss she was grinning.

Shepard was nervous now. She had been thinking how to approach a certain issue all night. Was this the right time? Would there ever be a right time? They might be extinct in the near future…

"Liara…I have something for you…" Shepard said.

The asari looked at her quizzically.

From inside her loose jacket, Shepard produced a small box. Her hand was shaking terribly now. She opened it slowly, revealing what lay within.

It was a small, circular band. Upon it was a glittering diamond. Shepard had to fight with a volus to get this item. It had almost come to blows as the suited bastard did not want to sell the ring, claiming that Shepard was lowballing him. Even when she did manage to purchase it, the cost was so ridiculous that if not for her ship and the military life, the Commander might find herself slumming in dark alleyways and eating toothpaste. It was said this diamond had been part of something called the "Hope Diamond" centuries ago. As such, it was ridiculously rare and expensive. The gem was a rich, dark blue.

Liara's eyes widened.

"Oh…Shepard it's beautiful…." The young asari looked at her hands.

"Oh dear…I always dress so plainly…how could I ever mat…oh it's so beautiful. You shouldn't have Shepard…a wonderful gift…"

A humorous realization suddenly dawned on Victoria Shepard. Liara would have no idea what the ring was supposed to symbolize. The rituals around human relationships would evade most every other species. Shepard smiled to herself. Well, she would tell her what she needed to know…just not everything yet.

"Liara…" Shepard said as she picked up the ring in her fingers, "Among my species, when two people make a promise to each other, a special promise like we have, they exchange rings like this…"

Liara was looking intently into Shepard's eyes.

"The other person, me, asks the person receiving this ring if they…uhm…if they want to promise themselves to..uhm..the other…well, to me. You promise yourself to me. Yes, that is what I mean…"

Liara smiled.

"I could never be promised to anyone else, my love. We have shared so much, I would never think of being with anyone but my Vicky…"

"So you say yes?"

"Yes? To what?"

Victoria chuckled. She had done a bad job explaining things.

"Nevermind. Here, put it on…" She slid the ring onto Liara's finger. The color of the stone was similar to Liara's own skin tone, but richer and striking.

"One day, Liara, maybe when there is time. We will have a special, uh, ceremony. I will get to wear one of the rings too…"

Shepard didn't notice that her actions had drawn a small crowd looking on from afar. Several of her squad mates, including Tali, were watching. The young Quarian seemed to have done her research as she was almost jumping up and down with excitement.

Suddenly, a crew member cried out.

"HOLY SHIT! Someone is getting mar…"

The rest of the gathering turned and glared at this lone human. Grunt smashed a fist into his open hand. The crew member's face dropped.

"Garitas….Margaritas. I am. I am getting them. Yes. Now." He said. He quickly turned and shuffled out a door.

The gathering now turned their attention to Liara and Shepard again. They were all smiling and whispering to each other. Miranda finally turned and shooed them all away. Everyone dispersed, going about their own entertainments.

Liara looked at Shepard.

"What just happened?" she asked.

"They are just having a good time, is all." Shepard said.

Liara smiled. She wrapped her arms around the Commander and laid her head atop Shepard's. She breathed deeply, taking in the Victoria's scent.

"Liara…did you want to dance?" Shepard asked.

"In a bit Shepard. In a bit. I just want to stay like this for awhile…"

The two sat there for a time, holding one another.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Writers soapbox: As much as I may like dark and brooding stories, I always like a little levity and fun, too. I hope you enjoy! I certainly enjoyed writing this story. Please leave a review. I am eager to hear your comments. ~KL**_

**Once 'twas painful trying,  
Now 'tis perfect trust;  
Once a half salvation,  
Now the uttermost;  
Once 'twas ceaseless holding,  
Now He holds me fast;  
Once 'twas constant drifting,  
Now my anchor's cast.**

**-Albert Benjamin Simpson**

**Mark Your Calendars!**

The problem with your entire crew expending all their energy on drinking and dancing is the fallout over the next few days. Oversleeping, hangovers, general sluggishness and of course a thick air of awkwardness about people who did things they likely shouldn't have and trying to pretend such "things" did not happen. Some acts should never be mentioned again. After seeing Kelly pass her hand across Tali's lower back in a more than friendly manner, much to the chagrin of the Quarian, Shepard thought it best that some acts shouldn't even be imagined, at least by those who did not want such imagery.

Shepard was not harsh on the crew and let them get their rest. They had been through a lot, and the coming days would test them beyond any limit they had thus far experienced.

Even so, the Commander could not help but be frustrated as she struggled with repairing her weapon. Her Claymore shotgun had been damaged during the fight with the Reaper Pazazu, a name discovered during Alliance excavations of the ruins on the colony. Sweat forming on her brow and frustration growing, Shepard was trying to find a way to fix her most relied upon weapon.

Things weren't going well, and with Garrus and Jacob both "recovering" from their excesses, Shepard found herself alone in her task.

"Damn it!" she cursed as her fingers failed her yet again. They were red and sore from attempts at the careful work required to fix such a weapon. She had always had delicate features, fingers not excluded, or so she had been told. Some of her mentors in life told her she would have been a good model. They might think otherwise now seeing the dark haired women with her hair in a bundle and face without any of the products females might use to make themselves "more attractive, sweating and cursing. At this point, she felt like just taking a large object and trying the "hit it until it works" strategy on the shotgun, but she thought better of it.

She heard the familiar whooshing of the door behind her. Shepard did not even bother to turn around, mind focused solely on the task before her.

"Shepard," came a voice.

"Yes?! What is it?" the Commander responded with obvious frustration.

"Looks like someone is a bit sour today…"

Shepard now recognized the voice. It was Liara.

She sighed, putting down her tools, and turned to face the asari.

"Ah, I apologize Liara. It's this damn gun. Next time Garrus and Jacob are BANNED from any drinking contests, I swear…"

The asari now moved very close to Shepard, almost face to face. Victoria staggered back a bit, surprised by such forwardness.

The asari stared into Shepard's eyes intently, her pupils examining every feature of the humans face.

Shepard was very confused.

"Yes," said Liara, finally.

"Yes, what?"

"Yes!"

Things were getting strange. Shepard thought perhaps she was dreaming. Perhaps she had too much to drink herself? Perhaps her weapon wasn't broken and this was all just an experience of imbibing too much absinth. Damnable wormwood…

"Liara, I didn't ask a question, my love. You have me at a loss…" Shepard said.

Right as she finished her words, the asari grabbed the back of her head forcefully. She then proceeded to pull Shepard's face into hers, forcing their mouths into contact. Initially, the commander's lips resisted, forming a wall to the exploring tongue of the asari. Within a few moments she let her guard down.

If this was a dream, it wasn't a terrible one, thought Shepard.

As Shepard pulled away from the passionate kiss for a breath, Liara again pulled her in. With her other hand, the asari aggressively drew in Shepard by the waist, forcing their two bodies together. It was as if fire was now consuming Shepard's body. This was no dream…

The realization of where they were struck the commander. Not a truly hygienic or safe place to make love, she thought to herself. With the rows of pistols, rifles, missile launchers and other assorted instruments of death on the walls, it could be a kinky experience to be sure.

Finally, Liara allowed Shepard to breathe. At a loss, Shepard looked at the asari before her.

"Wow, Liara. That was unexpected, but not unwelcome. To what do I owe this great…pleasure?" the commander said, trying her best to use a seductive voice but failing as she was gasping for air.

Liara smiled, her eyes narrowed. She had her hands behind her back now, swaying as a young girl on the playground would, barely containing some delicious secret and coyly not revealing it. For a scientist and former information broker, this was certainly unexpected behavior.

"You asked me something without really asking me, Shepard!" Liara said, emphasizing the name as if it was a playful indictment.

Shepard rubbed her head. More vague statements. Sex would have been much easier.

"Love, listen. You are really confusing me here, Liara," said Shepard.

Liara grinned. She raised her hand towards Shepard. Upon this hand glittered a deep blue diamond ring.

"Well, according to my research you didn't get down on your knees and you also missed a few other key parts of the tradition! You didn't even use the word 'marry me' once!" Liara said.

The realization of what Liara was referring to hit Shepard like a splash of cold water to the face. How foolish the commander had been not to expect the scholar and spymaster to research the institution of human marriage. Shepard's faced burned with embarrassment, her skin red as a tomato. So much for saving the full explanation until later, Shepard thought

"Ah…Liara…I. Well, I didn't want to, uh, distract you with, well you see, it's a human thing, and uh, well, hmmm…" so much for a good explanation either.

Using a single finger, the asari playfully poked Shepard's forehead.

"You know you can't hide anything from me! You shouldn't have to Shepard, or feel embarrassed. I say yes. Of course I'd say yes! You can be silly, sometimes."

Despite being confronted with her own stumbling awkwardness, Shepard was relieved. She felt great warmth well up in her. She hugged Liara tightly to her body and smiled. The two closed their eyes and held each other for a time, swaying ever so slightly back and forth.

Suddenly, Shepard opened a single eye and saw a familiar blue orb hovering.

"EDI, can I help you?" Shepard said.

Still being held by Shepard, Liara turned her head towards the voyeur.

"I am recording this moment for posterity, Commander. Also, for research into real live human-asari bonding traditions. This is truly a rare opportunity…" the AI responded.

Liara turned and looked at Shepard. She began to chuckle as she shook her head.

"Well, that is much appreciated EDI. Thank you." Shepard said pointedly.

The blue orb continued to hover.

"I said THANK YOU, EDI!"

"Yes, you are quite welcome," the AI responded, "So, please continue as if I am not here."

Shepard sighed. "EDI, I am saying maybe you should give us some time to be ALONE here?"

"Ah, yes, I see. Mating. I 'get' it. Are you sure you don't want me to add this to the recor…"

"EDI!"

The blue orb contracted quickly.

It was ever clearer the AI was developing a rather sassy attitude. If the Geth had been dangerous for their combat abilities, EDI would be just as threatening with her insatiable curiosity.

There was silence for a bit.

"You know, most of the crew is off ship or asleep…" Liara said.

"Oh…really now?" Shepard responded with an understanding grin.

The two lovers began to draw slowly closer and closer together…

Then, a loud crash, muttering, whispering curses, and another door whooshed open and in fell Tali. Behind her, all down the hallway outside the door was a mass of packed in squadmembers and crew all now with faces frozen in shock.

It was clear they had been trying to listen in. Worse yet, Miranda, the second in command was among the guilty. She covered her face in shame. "To be caught among these clumsy conspirators, ugh" she said.

"Are you serious?! Is there nowhere to hide on this ship?!" Shepard said.

Liara put her hand on Shepard's face, calming the commander.

Tali was still face down on the floor. She raised her head and meekly offered, "Congratulations, Liara and Shepard!"

Shepard was no longer angry. She suddenly began laughing at the situation before her. She had never had a large family, hell, much of a family at all for that matter. This crew, these "squad mates", were her family, her closest friends. She had always heard families could be nosy and troublesome at times, but you still loved them.

"Well, you might as well come in then…" Shepard finally said.

The commander grew increasingly disconcerted to see how many people actually were outside. Squad mate after squad mate came in, a veritable walk of shame. Garrus, Tali, Grunt, Miranda, Jacob, even Mordin and then followed Kelly and many more. Engineer Donnelly and Gabby were even present!

Shaking her head in mock-disappointment, Shepard finally addressed the intruders.

"Well, since you probably heard already…"

"A WEDDING!" cried Kelly.

Suddenly the crowd cheered. Shepard shook her head and laughed.

"We can't hide a damn thing from any of you. It seems my life is the most gossiped about item on the ship so I can at least confi…"

"Yeah, most gossiped about if you ignore the Quarian and…" someone said, stopping themselves when Tali landed a kick to the offender's leg.

"CONFIRM, " Shepard continued, "That Liara and I will be…getting…" the words sounded strange coming out of Shepard's mouth, as she never thought she'd be saying them, "getting married."

Another cheer from the crowd.

"Well, we now have a REAL reason to defeat the Reapers. Free wedding food and I hear they are also great places to pick up 'chicks', " Garrus said.

Everyone shared a laugh at that comment.

"Well, we have a lot to do. There is still a war to be fought and many hard days ahead. Even so…I am glad to share this happy moment with all of you. Let us remember that even in the darkest times we have to remember what we are fighting for. The good, the beautiful, the hopeful things in this Galaxy. Those are things the Reapers could NEVER understand and we will not allow them to take these from us!"

The crowd cheered and clapped again.

"Now, if you'll excuse us, Liara and I are going to get some privacy to…"

"Squishy bodies rubbing together. Gross." Grunt said.

"…privacy to TALK. We have a lot to talk about."

The two lovers, arms wrapped around each other, passed by many beaming faces. They headed for the elevator.

It was good to enjoy such times. No matter what terrible things the future held, everyone needs something, someone, to hold onto. Some purpose to look forward to beyond fire and death. They had friends. They had each other.


End file.
